The night sky in Saint-Étienne
In Saint-Étienne, the brightness of the night sky is estimated at 18.7 mag/arcsec²: a city sky. On a clear, moonless night the naked eye sees stars down to magnitude 4.5, about 480 stars above the horizon; the Milky Way stays hidden.
See the sky of Saint-Étienne in 3D tonight
Where to find a darker sky
25 km south of Saint-Étienne, the sky darkens to 21.4 mag/arcsec² (rural sky): about 2,520 naked-eye stars, and the Milky Way on moonless nights.
Planets in October 2026
| Planet | When to see it | Direction | Brightness | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | not visible, too close to the Sun | — | -0.0 | Libra |
| Venus | not visible, too close to the Sun | — | -4.3 | Virgo |
| Mars | morning | southeast | 1.0 | Cancer |
| Jupiter | morning | east-southeast | -1.9 | Leo |
| Saturn | all night | south-southwest | 0.3 | Cetus |
Positions on the 15th of the month, an hour after sunset and an hour before sunrise. Brightness in magnitude: the smaller the number, the brighter the planet.
Next meteor showers
| Shower | Peak night | At best (ZHR) | Expected here | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draconids | Fri 9 October | 10 | 0 | 3 % |
| Orionids | Thu 22 October | 20 | ≈ 2 | 79 % |
| Northern Taurids | Fri 13 November | 5 | ≈ 1 | 11 % |
| Leonids | Wed 18 November | 15 | ≈ 1 | 55 % |
Expected here: meteors per hour under the city’s sky, with the radiant at its height at 3 a.m. (moonlight not counted).
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the Milky Way in Saint-Étienne?
Not from the city: street lighting brightens the sky to 18.7 mag/arcsec² and washes out the Milky Way. 25 km south, the sky darkens to 21.4 mag/arcsec².
Which planets can you see in October 2026 from Saint-Étienne?
Mars (morning, southeast), Jupiter (morning, southeast) and Saturn (all night, south).
How many stars can you see with the naked eye in Saint-Étienne?
About 480 stars above the horizon on a clear, moonless night (down to magnitude 4.5), against nearly 3,000 under a perfectly dark sky.
Method: artificial sky brightness estimated from NASA night imagery (VIIRS Black Marble), with a propagation law calibrated on the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness (Falchi et al. 2016): ±0.4 mag/arcsec². Stars: Hipparcos catalogue down to magnitude 6; naked-eye limit after Garstang. Planets: astronomy-engine. Meteor showers: International Meteor Organization.